Shem and Ila After The Ark (Revised)
by gabbygrl247
Summary: A different version of my previous story. I was reading it one night and really did not like it much so I have decided to change it up a bit. I may take the other one down permanently so let me know what you guys think!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

 _Ila_

I held a hand on my swollen belly as I watched Shem and the girls pick berries. It had taken over a year of trying and two miscarriages before I finally conceived and past my tenth week. It was heartbreaking, feeling that stab of pain and waking up in a pool of blood, indicating the loss of a baby. The first time I knew I was with child, but the second time I did not. Shem was incredible during those times, cooking and looking after the girls so I could rest. Now I was thirty-one weeks along. I was thrilled that I did not lose it! My belly was huge, but Mother assured me that it was not twins again.

"Mama, look!" Adah yelled.

I walked over to where they were to see a beautiful blue butterfly perched on Adah's shoulder.

"Be still, as not to disturb it." I told her. "Come look Evi, look how beautiful it is."

Evi climbed into my lap and gazed at the butterfly.

"What color is it?" Shem asked the girls.

"Blue!" Evi exclaimed.

Unfortunately, Evi's voice startled the butterfly away. Adah began to sob so Shem lifted her in his arms and rocked her. Evi got upset as well, but only because she wanted her father's attention.

"Buggy come back!" Adah cried.

"It is alright Adah, it had to go home." Shem told her.

"Mama!" She cried.

I put Evi down and took Adah from Shem. Evi ran over to the berry bush while Adah snuggled her head into my chest. It was a little hard to hold the girls with my belly, but I managed.

"Dada eat this now!" Evi said, shoving a raspberry into Shem's mouth.

"That is yummy Evi." Shem told her. "Next time ask dada bug."

"Oh Shem she was just excited." I told him.

I shifted Adah, who had fallen asleep, to my other side and walked over to a shady tree and sat down. Adah let out a sigh before falling right back to sleep with her head on my shoulder. Shem sat down next to me and pulled me close to him.

"She is a force to be reckoned with." Shem said, motioning toward Evi.

"Just like her father." I replied, kissing him.

Later that night, after the girls were fast asleep, I curled up outside with a cup of tea. Quiet was hard enough to come by now, but I knew it was going to be worse in the next two month. I was also worried about having to give birth again. I hardly had false labor this time, thank goodness. Giving birth to the girls was incredibly traumatic and it took weeks for me to recover. Thankfully this time will be different, I kept telling myself. We will be on land, Shem will be with me, and my child will be safe. I did not even realize I had begun to cry until I felt someone wipe my tears away. I looked up to meet Shem's beautiful hazel eyes.

"Are you alright love?" He asked me.

"Just hormones." I replied.

"I know you are nervous, truthfully I am as well. Three children are going to be hard, but we can do it." He told me, staring into my eyes. "You are an incredible mother Ila."

"You think so?" I asked him tearfully.

"Of course I do, I have no idea why you doubt yourself so much love." He replied.

"Maybe it is because I pale in comparison to you." I suggested.

I climbed into his lap as best I could and kissed the side of his face.

"You are. Perfect. In. Every. Way." I said in between kisses.

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

To say I was relaxed was a bit of an understatement. Ila was a month away from giving birth and both of the girls were starting to act out. Evi seemed to be throwing tantrums left and right while Adah just wanted to be held. Ila was exhausted from dealing with both of them so Mother had decided to stay with us for a little while, at least until things calmed down a bit. It was great that she was here because I was busy most days building a new cot for the baby since the girls still used theirs. It was nice distraction, especially on mornings like this. Ila was busy getting milk from one of the goats while Mother was trying to get the girls to eat their breakfast, some bread and honey. Adah was trying to get outside to find Ila while Evi was screaming at the top of her lungs, refusing to eat.

"Adah come sit down with Naama." I said picking her up.

"No, my mama!" She cried.

I held her in my lap while I tried to get her to eat. Mother had completely given up on Evi and was letting her tire herself out. When Ila came back in a few minutes later, Adah flew out of my arms and launched herself at her mother. I grabbed the bucket of milk out of Ila's hand as she rocked Adah in her arms.

"Sh, it is alright my love." Ila told her. "Let's finish your breakfast."

While Ila dealt with Adah I grabbed Evi, who had calmed down a bit, and took her outside. Putting her down on the grass next to me, I began to finish carving the cot.

"Dada mine." Evi said, motioning towards the cot.

"No that is for the baby in Mama's belly." I told her.

"No. Mine." She stated.

I talked to Evi while I continued my work. She could not hold a conversation but she used a lot of her own words. She told me about her toys and the bugs on the ground. She loved playing with ants and beetles, which Ila was not too fond of.

"Evi would you like the rest of your breakfast now?" I asked my daughter.

"Yes." She said firmly.

I brought her back home and watched as she scarfed down her food.

"Well someone was hungry." Ila said with her hands on her hips.

"She worked up an appetite talking." I told her.

"Why don't you go play with Naama and Adah?" Ila said to Evi.

Evi took her cup of milk and ran with it to the other room. I walked over to Ila and wrapped my arms around her.

"Someone is affectionate today." She said to me.

"Well let's just say I had a very good night's sleep." I replied with a wink.

She pushed me away as she went back into the kitchen. I followed her to see she was making jam. So far she had made three jars.

"What is that for?" I asked her.

"The girls will be three in a few days; I want to make them a nice treat." She replied. "Did you forget?"

"Of course I did not forget, I just try not to remember that they are getting older." I told her.

"Well whether you like it or not they are going to grow up." She told me, caressing my face gently.

S S S S S S S S S S


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Birthday Party for Two**

 _Ila_

I could not believe it had been three years since my babies were born. Today was definitely a bittersweet day. Even though Father returned to us about six months after the ark found land, things were still somewhat tense. Shem and I still could not fully trust him, while Japheth and Mother took him back in immediately. Unfortunately, Ham left without making peace with Noah. But I promised myself I would not focus on the negatives today; instead I was going to focus solely on my daughters. They were sitting in the front room with Mother, finger-painting with some crushed berries and cloth while Shem and I were preparing the food.

"What do you want me to with the fish when it is done cooking?" Shem asked me.

"Just cut it and put in on a plate." I told him. "Afterwards can you wash up the girls? I need Mother's help in here."

"Of course love." He replied.

I went back to the soup I was making, tomato and barley. The girls were somewhat picky and did not like the taste of fish; and confidentially I didn't either. I had been craving tomato soup for days and today seemed like the perfect excuse to make it, since Shem wasn't a big fan.

"Mama look!" Evi yelled, running into the kitchen.

I took the cloth in my hands and examined it; it was terrible! I loved my daughters dearly so I just smiled.

"What is it Evi?" Shem asked her.

"That's you and mama and Adah and the baby is in mama's belly." She explained.

"It is beautiful Evi." I told her.

Shem snorted as he took it and put it on the table so it could dry.

"I want milk." Evi said.

Since the fish was done cooking, Shem poured her a cup and went with her into the front room. I heard the girls start crying; figuring Shem was trying to clean them up. There was not enough time to bathe them so he was just using a wet cloth.

"You needed me Ila?" Mother asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Yes can you spread jam on the cakes?" I asked her.

She nodded and we both worked in a comfortable silence.

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

I held Evi in my arms, trying to get her to sleep. They had had a long evening, but Evi still swore she was not tired. Ila had gone to bed a few hours ago so it was up to me to get her to sleep.

"Dada." Evi said.

"Yes bug." I replied.

"I love you dada." She said.

"I love you too Evi." I told her.

"I love mama." She told me.

"Mama loves you too." I replied, kissing her on the head.

Thankfully it took only a few more minutes of rocking before she was fast asleep. After putting her down and checking to make sure the house was cleaned up, I headed to bed. Ila was lying on her side, curled up as best she could. Lying down beside her I pulled her close and fell right to sleep.

"Did you have fun last night Adah?" I asked my daughter.

Ila was not feeling very well so the girls and I were outside playing, picking her flowers.

"Yeah." Adah replied. "Blue flower dada!"

"I see that, why don't you take some for mama?" I suggested. "What have you found for mama Evi?"

"I found a buggy!" She said.

I looked at her to find a handful of worms in her hand. I made her drop them immediately, since Ila hated insects and bugs. Instead, I pointed her towards a nice patch of red flowers.

"I'm hungry dada!" Evi whined about fifteen minutes later.

"I want mama!" Adah added.

"Alright, let's go." I told them.

We ran back to the house, both girls giggling the whole way home. I gave them a bowl of fruit and went to check on Ila. She was sitting up in bed, stitching a new jacket for Adah.

"They are getting so big." She said with a sigh.

"I know love. How are you feeling?" I asked her, rubbing her belly.

"I am uncomfortable; I feel a lot of pressure today. I think the baby is coming either today or tomorrow." She said.

"You really think so? You still have a month." I told her.

"I know but I have a feeling this one will be early. Mother said it is sitting low, she thinks it'll be a boy." She replied.

"A boy would be nice, three girls seems like a lot." I said, kissing her neck.

"Mhm it does. Shem that feels lovely but I need to get this done today, Adah really needs it." She said, panting a bit.

I kissed her on the lips before heading back towards the girls. They were playing with their blocks while they are their figs. Mother had to stay with Japheth today so it was just the four of us, which was nice.

"Where's mama?" Adah asked me.

"Mama is making you a new jacket." I told her. "She is in bed if you want to go see her you can."

"I want to!" She yelled running towards the bedroom.

"Are you still hungry Evi?" I asked my other daughter. "I can get you some soup if you want?"

"I want cake." She replied. "And milk!"

"No cake but I will get you a glass of milk." I told her.

"No I want cake!" She whined.

She began to cry and scream. Not wanting to deal with this, I put her in her cot and let her just cry it out.

"What is going on?" Ila asked, walking into the front room.

"Evi wanted cake and I said no." I told her, putting the blocks away. "Where is Adah?"

"She fell asleep in our bed." She replied. "I don't know what we are going to do about Evi's temper, especially when the baby gets here."

"Well that is why Mother is coming to help us." I reminded her.

"I know but she will only be here for a few weeks. Besides I want to be able to raise our children on our own." She told me.

"Ila, everything will be alright." I told her.

"But will it?" She replied.

S S S S S S S S S S


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: New Baby**

 _Ila_

The pain was unbearable. It felt as if someone was stabbing me repeatedly in the back. I cried out in agony, which woke Shem.

"Ila, what is it? What is wrong?" he asked, stroking my hair.

"There is a shooting pain in my back!" I cried

"Sh, it is alright." He said soothingly, "I will rub it."

He turned me on my side and began kneading, but it wasn't helping and I continued to cry.

"Ila, do you think you are in labor?" He asked me.

"I think so." I replied.

As I was beginning to calm down, I felt the familiar gush of water leak from between my legs.

"Oh no." I said dreading what would happen next, "it's time, Shem."

"I will go and get Mother from the girl's room." He told me, then he kissed my forehead and left.

As soon as he left my first contraction hit and it was worse than the pain in my back. I screamed, terrified; I still had a two more weeks until the baby was supposed to arrive. Mother ran into the room in a matter of minutes. She put a wet cloth on my forehead and went to look in-between my legs.

"How do you feel?" she asked me, cleaning off her hands.

"My back hurts." I cried in reply.

Mother reached under my dress and began to feel around. As she was doing this, Shem ran into our hut and sprinted to my unoccupied side, grasping my hand and kissing it.

"The girls?" I asked him through my tears.

"Japheth has them with him in his hut." He then turned to mother and asked, "Is it coming?"

"Yes." She replied, "I can feel the head."

Another contraction hit and I screamed gripping Shem's hand as tightly as I could. I saw Shem wince but I did not care. Once the contraction passed, I let out a breath of relief and rested back on a pillow.

"It's over now Ila, rest a while." Shem whispered in my ear.

"The head is moving down more Ila." Mother informed me.

At this point the pain in my back had become so blinding that I couldn't help but lean over and vomit. Once I was done being sick I began to sob.

"Ila, it will be alright." Shem told me. "You need to keep calm and stop making yourself sick.

"Shem I need you to clean that up and then put a new cloth on her forehead. Ila, my love, I know you are in pain, but I need you to help me undress you." Mother instructed all of us.

She came closer to me and with a little bit of my help, she pulled my dress off and covered me with a thin blanket. Shem began to wipe my face with a wet, cool piece of cloth. I began to feel less suffocated but I still did not feel right.

"Ah!" I screamed as another, more powerful contraction hit and gripped Shem's hand harder than before.

"Ila you must breath." Mother told me soothingly, keeping her hand in my vice-like grip, "you need to stay calm."

Mother gave me some water and I took it greedily, but as soon as I swallowed some I vomited again.

"Mother I am so tired." I whined.

"I know you are but you need to keep awake because this baby wants to come out now." She told me.

I was about to protest, but I felt the need to push. I took a deep breath and bore down as hard as I could

"Good Ila." Mother told me, "It is coming fast."

"Keep going Ila you are doing wonderful!" Shem encouraged me as he kissed my forehead.

"I can't push anymore." I cried, feeling faint.

"You must!" Mother yelled, "Only one more child.

I pushed harder than I had before and I felt my child slip out of me. I relaxed as soon as Mother placed my newborn in my arms. I smiled as I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep.

I opened my eyes to find Shem asleep next to me his head on my chest. His hair was sprawled all over the place and a little bit was plastered to his forehead. I pushed it back and he began to stir.

"Ila?" he asked.

He jolted up and kissed me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he buried his head in my neck.

"Tired and sore." I replied.

Suddenly I heard shrill cry. I looked over and saw a tiny newborn, wrapped tightly; lying in the cot Shem had built months before. Shem got up and walked over to the cot. He bent over it and gently lifted the child out and came back over to me.

"Someone must be hungry." I said.

"Yes he is." He told me, handing me the baby.

"He; it's a boy." I said taking him into my arms.

I looked down at my son for the first time and saw he had a head full of dark brown hair, which was very different from his sisters' blond hair. His eyes had the blue tint mother told me all newborns had for a little while, but I could tell he had Shem's beautiful brown-green eyes. He began to fuss, so I pulled down the blanket that was covering me and put him to my right breast. He took my nipple in his mouth and began sucking hungrily.

"He's so beautiful." I whispered, stroking his tuft of hair.

"That is because he looks like his mother." Shem said, kissing me.

He bent down and grabbed a glass of water, which he handed to me. I took it from him and gulped it down.

"Do you feel a bit better?" he asked me, feeling my forehead.

"A little bit." I told him, leaning into his hand, "how long was I asleep?"

"Not very long, just about an hour." He answered, looking me in the eyes. "Mother said you were most likely shocked from the baby coming early."

"Have you thought of a name?" I asked him after a few minutes.

We both looked down at our son. He was still eating. I detached him and switched him to my left breast.

"Yes." He told me, "Elijah."

I turned my head sharply to look at Shem, tears forming in my eyes. Elijah was my birth father's name. I had told him when we were younger, he had asked me about my real family but I did not think he remembered.

"Thank you." I whispered, leaning over to kiss him.

After a few moments of silence, the only sounds coming from Elijah, who was still eating, mother poked her head in the hut.

"Oh thank goodness you are awake now Ila! How do you feel?" she asked.

Before I could respond, the girls ran into the hut, screaming mama. There screams startled Elijah, who instantly started to howl. Shem took him from my arms and began rocking him. The girls took this opportunity to throw themselves at me.

"Careful girls!" mother scolded them.

"It is alright mother." I told her, scooting over so they could lie next to me.

"Baby!" Adah shrieked, pointing at Elijah who had started to calm down.

"Yes this is your brother." Shem said to her, handing Elijah back to me so that the girls could see him better.

"He's small." Evi said, touching his hand.

"He will get bigger and then you can play with him." I told her.

Elijah fell asleep so Shem but him in his cot and took the girls into their room. I, with mother's help, had washed off and changed into clean clothing. I was getting comfortable in the bed, which mother had changed the cloth covering it and the blanket, when Shem came back. He took his shirt off, put on a clean pair of trousers, and climbed into bed with me.

"Did I tell you how wonderful you were today?" Shem whispered in my ear.

"I don't believe you did." I said, turning to face him.

"Well you were." He replied and then kissed me, "I love you Ila."

"And I love you Shem."

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

Elijah was absolutely perfect, not that I didn't think he wouldn't be. It had been three days since he was born and Ila and I were exhausted! Mother took care of the girls all day while Ila and I took turns with Elijah. He was a very cranky baby and cried frequently. Ila was still not recovered so she only woke up to feed him; I watched him while she slept. He liked to be held so as long as he was in my arms and awake, he was content, especially right after he ate.

I was bouncing Elijah in my arms as I watched the girls eat. Mother and Ila were lounging in the bedroom, stitching and talking. They deserved a break and I loved spending time with my children.

"Dada is Eli hungry?" Adah asked me, offering her brother a piece of flatbread.

"No bug Eli is too little from bread, right now he is drinking mama's milk." I told her.

"I want mama's milk." Evi declared.

"Come here Evi." Ila called from the bedroom.

Evi ran to her excitedly. Ila had tried to cut them off when she was carrying Elijah, but now that he was here and she was feeding him, the girls were getting jealous. Adah ate quietly as I changed Elijah.

"Baby smells." She said, holding her nose.

"I know Adah, would you like to help me clean the baby?" I asked her.

She nodded and walked over to me. I gave her a wet cloth and showed her how to clean Elijah's bottom.

"What are you two doing?" Ila asked, walking over to us.

"Mama I am cleaning Eli!" Adah said excitedly. "I am helping like a big girl!"

"I see that." Ila replied, kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you go see Naama for your lesson?"

"Yes mama." She said, heading into the nursery.

"Are you sure they are old enough to start stitching? It is a needle." I said.

"It will be fine; it is just another thing to keep them busy Shem." She told me. "Let me feed him."

I handed her the baby and went to check on Japheth. He had been feeling a little lonely lately so I decided it was time to teach him how to build a house. He was thirteen now she it was about time. It was nice to spend some time with my brother. We ended up talking more than building, but it was still a fun.

"How are you feeling tonight?" I asked Ila.

"I don't think it's going to happen tonight love." She told me. "But…there are other things we can do."

She pushed me down so I was on my back and straddled me. Kissing me, I felt her hands travel until they found their target. I let out a moan of pleasure as I felt her hands touch my member.

"Does that feel nice?" She whispered seductively.

I let out a string of unintelligent words as I felt her mouth on me. It had been so long and the sensation was incredible. I put my hands in her hand as I felt myself erupt in her mouth.

"That was incredible." I told her a few minutes later.

"Good." She said, kissing me before lying down and falling asleep.

I watched her for a couple minutes before retiring to bed myself.

S S S S S S S S S S


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Adventures**

 _Ila_

"Be careful! Shem be sure to watch them!" I yelled to my husband.

"I know Ila." He replied, rolling his eyes.

Shem and Father were currently trying to teach the girls how to swim in a nearby lake. Mother and I were sitting on the shore with Elijah, watching them. Japheth was also in the water, trying to help.

"He's ready to eat daughter." Mother told me, handing Elijah, who was starting to fuss, over to me.

"It seems that he is always hungry." I replied, taking him.

I untied the front of my dress and let him attach to my left breast.

"Your brothers were the same way." Mother said, laughing a bit, "Especially Shem, no matter how much he ate, he was always hungry moments later."

"Mama, Naama, look!" Evi screamed at us.

I looked over to see her swimming a few strokes, from Japheth to Shem, on her own. While she did this, Adah clung on to her grandfather, terrified.

"Oh Evi!" I cried, "You did it! You swam."

Shem carried her over to the shore and she ran over to me and mother.

"Did you see me Eli?" she asked her brother who was busy eating, "did you see me Naama?"

"Yes I did Evi and you were wonderful." Mother replied to Evi, wrapping a blanket around her and bringing her into her lap.

"Maybe Adah will try now." I stated, switching Elijah to my right breast.

"Hungry!" Evi declared.

"Here have some bread and berries." Mother told her, handing her a bowl full of luscious blue berries and a piece of bread.

As she began to eat, I turned my attention to the water to see Adah leave her grandfather's arms and paddle into Shem's strong, open ones.

"Adah you did it!" I yelled to her tears in my eyes.

"Mama I'm done." Evi said, breaking me from my thoughts.

Shem came out of the water with Adah and sat down, handing Adah some food.

"Here I will take him, you eat." Shem told me, taking Elijah, who had just been burped, from my arms.

"He will sleep soon." I instructed him.

"Yes Ila I know." Shem replied, kissing me.

He got up to go and grabbed Evi, who had fallen asleep, in his free arm.

"Japheth will you come help me?" Shem asked our brother.

"Of course." He relied, getting up and leaving with Shem.

The rest of us sat, enjoying our meal in silence. When we got back, Adah had fallen asleep so I put her in her hut with Evi and Elijah, who were also sleeping, and went back to my own. When I got in, I noticed Shem was lying in bed, so I crawled in and snuggled up close to him.

"Ila?" I heard him mumble.

"Who else." I replied.

Without opening his eyes, he pulled me in closer to him and began to kiss my neck. He moved his hands down, past my neck, shoulders, sensitive breasts and my bellybutton, and let them rest at my hips. I let out a moan and he moved his lips to nibble on my ear a bit. I let my hands wander, touching his hair, arms, and toned stomach. When they finally reached his thighs, we were interrupted by a loud shriek.

"Mama, papa, Eli up!" I heard come from the children's hut.

Shem was about to get up, when I put my hand on his arm to stop him.

"I'll get him, you fix yourself." I told him, pointing at his lower half.

"Yes, I will do that." He said, kissing me.

It was winter once again. All the animals had gone away, in caves and burrows, and the snow had begun to fall. Elijah was crawling now and the girls, amused, liked to let him follow them around. Shem and I had bundled them all up and taken them outside to play in the snow. Shem held Elijah in his lap, letting him throw snow everywhere, while I helped the girls build different things. Evi was telling Adah what to do, which amused me. Adah was so quiet and just let her sister lead her. Shem always noticed it more than I did, but that is most likely because it is the relationship he had with Ham for so many years.

"Mama Eli hit me!" Evi screamed.

I looked over to see snow on the back of her coat.

"Oh Evi he did not mean it." Shem replied. "Did you Elijah?"

Elijah let out a little noise which sounded like a chuckle. He was only eight and a half weeks old; too young to smile or laugh, but he made these noises often. Evi was still angry at her brother but she went back to her "house" that she had made in the snow. Adah came over to me and sat in my lap.

"What is wrong love?" I asked her.

"No more snow. I'm sleepy." She replied.

I took her and Elijah inside and put them down for a nap. Shem was still outside with Adah so I decided to take a bath. Once the water was warm I got in the basin and tried to relax. The water felt so nice and it had been forever since I had time to myself. I loved being a wife and a mother, spending my days with cooking and cleaning with the children, but there were times I just needed a break. My body was still a bit sore, even though it had been two months since giving birth; my breasts hurt terribly and there was still a dull throbbing in my core. I thought the second birth would be easier, especially since I had twins the first time, but the recovery was hard. The girls had been very attached lately, especially Adah. Evi was a daddy's girl and I know she will always be. It did hurt a little that she liked him more, since he didn't carry her, but at least I had two other children.

"Ila." Shem called out, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I am in the bath." I told him. "Keep your voice down, Adah and Elijah are asleep."

"So is Evi. Scoot over." Shem told me.

I moved forward and he slipped in behind me. I sighed as I felt his arms wrap around me.

"I miss this." I told him. "We need to make more time for us."

"I know, we have been trying to put the children first but maybe that is not always best." He said. "What if we ask Mother to watch them one night a week, to give us time to ourselves?"

"That is a lot to ask of her since she helps me almost every day but I am sure she will agree; I will just feel guilty asking so much of her and Japheth is too young to watch them all alone." I replied.

"Is it wrong that I want another one?" He asked me.

"You want another baby? Good luck with that." I told him.

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

Ila was stressed. She didn't talk about it but I could tell. Her temper was short and she was tired all the time. I had spoken to Mother about it and she said that she had seen other women react like that after giving birth. It was hard because I did not know what was going to set her off. I was working on Japheth's house, blowing off a little steam, when I heard someone calling my name. Thinking something was wrong I turned around expecting to see Ila, but it wasn't her; it was Ham. I stood there in shock as he walked toward me with a woman who appeared to be the same age as him.

"Where have you been?" I screamed at him. "We have not heard from you in almost three years!"

"I am sorry." He replied with his head hung low.

I scoffed before reeling back and punching him in the face, hard. As the woman he was with ran forward to see if he was alright, I sprinted all the way to Father. He was checking on Ila's dove who had injured it's wing.

"What is wrong Shem?" He asked me.

"Ham's back."

I sat next to Ila while we stared at Ham and Cassia, his wife. She glared at me as she held onto Ham's arm; I suppose she was upset about me punching Ham in the face earlier.

"I do not understand." Ila said.

"Neither do I." Mother added. "How are you alive?"

"I am not sure. The last thing I remember was falling asleep and when I woke up I was here. It was only a few days later that I met Ham." Cassia told us.

"It was a miracle." Father said. "We have had many of those."

I looked over to see Ila had fallen asleep so I pulled her onto my lap and covered her with my coat.

"How long have you been here then?" Mother asked Cassia.

"About two years." She replied.

"Why come back?" I asked Ham.

"Cassia convinced me. She said it was time I made peace with Father." He told me.

"I need to go check on the children." I said.

I brought Ila back to the house and put her in bed. Today had been an emotional day. The children were still asleep so I decided to take a walk. It was a beautiful day, as all the days were here; in the three years since the ark struck land there had not been one drop of rain. The animals kept to themselves for the most part, but some were friendly. A few minutes away was a long, winding path that was perfect for walking. It was a good distraction, especially since I was the only person who knew of it. I just could not believe that after all this time Ham was back. I hadn't even known he left until Ila told me; he did not even say goodbye. Even with all the distractions there was still part of me that was so angry at him for leaving. Mother had been so depressed for months after he was gone and I wanted to kill him for it.

Family dinner that night was awkward, to say the least. Elijah was fussy and the girls refused to leave my side. Japheth and Ham talked a lot while Cassia sat quietly. Mother was busy cooking with Father's help.

"Dada I'm cold." Adah sniffed.

"Here you go bug." I told her as I put her coat on.

"I'm cold too dada." Evi cried.

"Alright Evi." I said putting her coat on.

"Are you girls' hungry?" Mother asked.

Both girls nodded as Mother handed them each a bowl of soup.

"Girls thank you grandmother." Ila scolded them as she fed Elijah.

"Thank you Naama." Both girls said.

"You are welcome." Mother replied. "Here Shem, let me know if you want more."

"Thank you Mother." I told her.

"Ila would you like some?" Father asked her.

"I will have some when Elijah is done eating." She replied.

"How old is he?" Cassia asked.

"He is a baby." Evi said.

"Two months." I told her.

"I am three." Evi told her.

"So am I." Adah said.

"Girls eat your dinner before it gets cold." I told them.

Elijah was done so I took him from Ila so she could eat. He had fallen asleep and looked so peaceful.

"How is he sleeping?" Father asked me.

"He is doing much better, almost through the night now." I replied.

"Dada I am done." Adah told me. "More please Naama?"

"Yes, of course you can my dear." Mother said.

"Do you want children Cassia?" Ila asked Ham's wife.

"I am not sure. It is not something we have discussed." She replied.

"We also wanted to get married, officially." Ham added.

"I can do that one day this week." Father told him.

"Oh how exciting!" Mother exclaimed.

"What is exciting Naama?" Evi asked her grandmother.

"A wedding." Mother told her.

"Mama and Dada had one." Evi stated.

"That's right." Ila told her. "Now say goodnight, it is time for bed."

"No I don't want to go!" Evi cried.

Adah had already fallen asleep so Ila took her and Elijah while I tried to pry Evi away. She kicked and cried all the way home until she saw Ila had started a bath for her. I put her down so she could get ready.

"What oil do you want Evi?" Ila asked her.

"Lavender!" Evi exclaimed.

"You have to be quiet Evi so you don't wake anyone up." Ila told her.

Later that night, after Evi was put to sleep, I decided it was a good time to talk to Ila. She was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes from lunch.

"Can we talk?" I asked her.

"Let me finish." She replied.

"Ila, we really need to talk." I told her.

She sighed and set down the plate she was washing. I patted the cushion next to me as she sat down.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked me.

"You are unhappy. I know you do not want to admit it but I can tell." I told her.

"I am just so tired." She cried.

She broke down. I pulled her into my arms and let her cry.

"Why don't you spend the next week by yourself and let me watch the children?" I suggested. "I can take Elijah to you when he needs to be fed. Maybe if you have some time to yourself you will feel better?"

"Do you think?" She asked me. "You wouldn't mind watching the children?"

"They are my children Ila, of course I do not mind watching them. You need to get better or you are going to break." I told her.

S S S S S S S S S S


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Crawling and Baby News**

 _Ila_

At five and a half months Elijah finally started crawling. It was earlier than either of his sisters but they were also chubbier at his age. My depression had ended, thanks to Shem's idea. A week to myself was exactly what I needed; I got to sleep and eat without any distractions and it was marvelous. Ham's wife Cassia came over almost every day to help with the children. She was expecting, about eleven weeks along, and had never been around young children before. Her first day alone with Elijah went terribly and ended in tears. It was easier now that he was eating solid food, but he was a rambunctious baby and did not like to be away from me for long periods of time.

"Make sure you mind the back of his head." I told Cassia as she bathed Elijah. "And do not forget his bum."

"Ok." She replied nervously.

"Mama I want to help." Evi said as I wove a basket.

"Why don't you help dada?" I suggested.

"Dada busy with Adah." She replied.

Adah had gotten more attached to Shem in the past few months, and because of this Evi was upset. He had been laying wood on the roof of Ham and Cassia's new house and brought Adah with him. I was not too fond of it but she would cry if he did not take her. Evi did not like playing with Elijah so she spent most of her time with me.

"Maybe you should paint something for Naama." I said to her.

Her face lit up and she ran into the other room where she and Adah's toys were kept.

"He is clean Ila." Cassia said.

"Dress him and then I will feed him, then he will need a nap." I told her.

Once Elijah was dressed Cassia brought him to me. I tried not to breastfeed him as much but he still needed the nutrients. I held him close as he began to suckle at my right breast.

"Eat up, Mama loves you." I told him.

"I am going to go take a nap." Cassia told me.

"Enjoy." I replied.

She thanked me before heading home. I went back to my weaving but it wasn't before long that Evi pulled me away.

"Mama I finished!" She declared excitedly, holding up her artwork.

"Oh it is beautiful Evi!" I told her. "Naama will love it."

I switched Elijah over to my left breast as I helped Evi clean up her mess.

"Mama I am hungry." She told me.

"Why don't we bring some flatbread and fruit to Dada and Adah and have a picnic?" I suggested.

She giggled in reply. Once Elijah was done eating I put him down and went to grab the food we needed for lunch. With Elijah strapped to my chest, Evi and I went to find Shem; it didn't take long.

"Mama!" Adah yelled when she saw us. "Dada it is Mama."

"I see that." Shem said as he climbed down from the roof.

"We thought you might be hungry." I told him.

He kissed me before grabbing Elijah from me. I set up lunch and soon we all dug in.

"Can we play?" Evi asked once she and Adah finished.

"Yes you may." I told her.

Elijah was out cold so that left Shem and I alone.

"The house looks good." I told him.

"It is almost finished." He said.

"How much longer will it be do you think?" I asked him, laying my head on his shoulder.

Before he could answer me we heard a piercing scream come from the direction of the girls. Shem jumped up and sprinted over to see what was wrong. He ran back to the mat carrying Evi. As he got closer I noticed a there was blood dripping from a gash on her leg. He put her down next to me and she buried her head in my chest as she sobbed. Shem went to go grab Adah and I took one of the blankets from the mat and wrapped it around Evi's wound.

"Keep pressure on it." Shem instructed me, putting the other children down, "I am going to get Mother."

He left, running, and Adah crawled over to where Evi was.

"You hurt Evi!" Adah told her.

"I am. Mama I'm hurt." Evi cried clinging to me even more than she was before.

"I know baby." I said soothingly.

Shem rushed back with Mother; both out of breath. She had bandages and different herbs with him as well as some water. Japheth followed the both of them.

"Ila I need you move her so that I can see her leg. Japheth please take Adah and Elijah away." Mother instructed.

He took the other children and I moved Evi so that her head was lying on my chest. Shem moved over to where both of our heads were and wiped Evi's forehead with freshly wet cloth. Evi had stopped shrieking, but she was still sobbing. Mother removed the blanket from her leg and began to clean the wound. It wasn't a very big gash, but from what I could see it was deep. He blended some herbs together in some water and dabbed the concoction on the wound with some cloth as gently as he could.

"Papa it hurts!" Evi cried, reaching for Shem, "No more!"

"I'm sorry baby." He told her, "But it has to be cleaned."

I began to play with her hair and started to hum. It calmed her and by the time Mother finished cleaning the gash and wrapping it, she was fast asleep. Shem carried her to her bed as I followed them.

"Thank you Japheth." I told my brother when we got back to the house. "You can go back now."

"How is she?" He asked.

"She'll be alright." I told him.

It had been about a month since Evi had gotten hurt. Her leg had completely healed within a few days, but she pretended that it still hurt for the attention. She would cry when she was told to walk and someone, usually Shem, would carry her. She kept this up for about a week, but then she watched her brother and sister running and climbing over their father and decided to give up her act and join in. I knew her injury was not bad but it was hard for me to see any of my children hurt, especially after what happened to me as a child.

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

With Elijah crawling and Cassia expecting, I had been starting to realize how much I wanted another baby. I knew Ila wanted more but she was a bit more hesitant, most likely because she was the one that had to give birth to it, which is why I was not expecting her to agree with me when I brought the subject up again.

 _-Previous Night-_

"I think it is time for another." I told her after the kids had gone to sleep.

We had spent the day picking berries. It was beautiful out and the children had a wonderful time.

"What are you talking about?" She asked me. "Another house?"

"No. Another baby." I replied, putting my hands on her stomach, "Elijah is getting older and I rather enjoy seeing you with child."

"I believe you are right." She agreed after a few moments of silence. "When do you want to try?"

"How about now?" I asked.

Not waiting for a response I kissed her. She kissed me back and I moved so that I was on top of her. I took my top off before removing her dress. She blushed since I had not seen her naked in a while. Her breasts were red and blotchy from Elijah's constant feedings and she had marks on her stomach, surrounding the large scar she had had for years.

"You are so beautiful Ila." I told her.

I began to kiss my neck, my hands wandering along my naked body.

"As much as I like this Shem, we must hurry." She panted.

"Yes of course." I replied.

I tore off my pants and plunged into her. She cried out, from pleasure and shock. I t had been months since we had last been together. We both began to moan as I started to thrust rhythmically.

"Yes!" She cried out, "Shem don't stop, please!"

"I won't. I love you" I replied, kissing her.

I moved my mouth from her lips to suck on my neck. I suppose couldn't take my pace because in one swift move she flipped us over so that she was on top.

"Oh Ila!" I cried, going deeper inside of her.

"Shem!" She screamed, hitting her climax.

"Ila!" I yelled, hitting mine too.

She collapsed on top of me and kissed my chest. I turned us over and pulled out of her as both fell into a blissful sleep.

"Do you think it worked?" I asked Ila a week later.

She gave me an annoyed look and went back to her stitching. I knew I was annoying her but I could not help it, I was excited.

"I won't know for at least another month Shem." She told me. "Will you feed the children?"

I did not know exactly why Ila was so snippy, but I was pretty sure it had to do with the fact that she was weaning Elijah from breastfeeding and she was uncomfortable.

"What do you want for lunch?" I asked my daughters.

"Honey and bread." Evi said.

"Potato soup." Adah said.

"They both sound delicious." I told them.

Both girls rarely agreed on the same meal so Ila and I learned to just have more than one option. Elijah ate mainly mushed berries and soup so he was much easier to feed. Evi, like me, had a sweet tooth and loved to eat sweeter foods. Adah was more practical, like her mother. I figured that since the girls were identical that they would have similar attitudes, but I could not have been more wrong.

"More honey Dada." Evi said.

I looked over to see her completely cover in honey. Adah looked at her with a disgusted face before going back to her soup.

"I think you have enough." I told her as I fed Elijah his soup.

"My goodness, look at your face Evi." Mother said as she entered the house.

"Naama!" Both girls yelled excitedly.

"Do come in Mother." I said sarcastically.

Mother swatted me in the back of the head before kissing all of her grandchildren.

"Where is Ila?" Mother asked.

"She is stitching in the bedroom." I told her. "Her chest is hurting her."

"I am fine, stop overreacting Shem." Ila said walking into the kitchen.

"Mah!" Elijah cried.

"Hello my love." She said, taking him into her arms.

"Mama I am full." Adah said.

"Would you like to walk with me?" Mother asked her.

"I want to go!" Evi yelled.

"We can all go." Mother told her.

I bundled them up and watched as they left with Mother.

"What should we do now?" I asked Ila.

"You could put the baby to sleep while I start a bath." She said with a wink.

S S S S S S S S S S


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Positives and Negatives**

 _Ila_

It had been five weeks since Shem and I started trying for another baby and so far we have not been successful. It was still early but I was getting nervous.

"What bothers you daughter?" she whispered, getting closer to me so nobody would hear us.

We were all sitting around the fire eating the meal mother and Cassia had made. Mother had wanted me to help her but since I have not been feeling too happy I made an excuse not to, saying Elijah was hungry and pretended to feed him in my hut. The girls were covered in their food, Evi in Shem's lap, while Adah was sitting in Ham's. Adah had become very attached to Ham in the time he had been back. Father was holding Elijah, trying to feed him some herb to soothe his teeth, which had just started to come in. Dinner was a nice and after everyone finished, we all stayed by the fire a bit longer. The children had all fallen asleep, Elijah in my arms, Evi in Shem's, and Adah in Ham's. Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Father were all discussing something. Ham and father had gotten over their problems since Ham had gotten back and had made up; Ham had his arm around Cassia, who was asleep on his shoulder. I was thinking when mother decided to interrupt my thoughts.

"Nothing bothers me." I replied.

"Do not lie to me Ila." She told me, looking me in the eyes. "Tell me what the matter is."

"I do not know." I sighed in defeat, "It's just before we had children, Shem and I were so in love and we would spend hours running around and kissing, but now we are barely alone and I don't think he even loves me anymore; and on top of that we have been trying to have another baby and I have had no symptoms yet."

By those last few words I was sobbing and everyone and stopped what they were doing to look at me.

"It is nothing." Mother told everyone, "I will take her to bed."

She got up, handed Elijah to Father, and helped me up. We walked in silence back to my hut. I was still crying and she let me walk with my head on her shoulder. Once we got back to my hut, she helped me lie down and handed me a glass of water.

"I want you to listen to me Ila." Mother told me sternly yet gently. "You and Shem did not fall out of love, you grew up. You have children to care for now and they are most important. I see the way Shem looks at you child, he still loves you."

Her words had calmed me down and I had begun to fall asleep when Shem came in. He dressed in his night clothes and crawled into bed with me. He kissed me and before I drifted off to sleep I heard him say,

"No matter what Ila, I will always love you."

The next morning, Shem took care of the children and let me sleep in. As much as I appreciated Shem, I was tired of having him do all of the work. It seemed I was always tired or not feeling well. He was so patient but I knew he was at his wit's end.

"Morning love." I said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning." He replied, kissing me. "Did you sleep well?"

"You know I did." I told him with a wink.

"I think it worked last night." He said.

"You say that every time." I told him as I cleaned Adah's face. "Did Dada make good breakfast?"

"Yes." She replied. "It was so good."

"Can I go play Dada?" Evi asked Shem.

"You need to clean up your mess before you go and play." Shem told her.

Instead of putting up a fight as per usual, Evi put her bowl in the basin and cleaned her face. We both gaped at her.

"Now can I play?" She asked again.

"Yes you can bug." He told her.

"That was new." I said.

"Mama my belly hurts." Adah said softly.

I handed Elijah to Shem and went to check her forehead, which was warm. She was pale and clammy so I started a lukewarm bath for her.

"Adah you need to let me undress you love." I told her.

She opened her mouth to answer me but instead of talking, she vomited. I managed to get her dress off and stick her in the tub before she got sick again.

"You are going to be okay." I told her softly. "You just have a bellyache."

"Mama." She cried.

After her bath I wrapped her snuggly and lied down in bed with her. She had thrown up a few more times but now she was fast asleep.

"How is she feeling?" Shem asked, lying down next to us.

"She hasn't thrown up in a while." I told him. "She must've eaten something bad."

"Are you mocking my cooking skills?" He asked me sarcastically.

"Maybe." I replied, kissing his nose.

After a day Adah's throwing up stop, but mine began. At first I thought maybe I caught whatever she had, but Shem had a different idea.

"I think you are with child." He told me.

"I do not know, the only symptom I have is vomiting." I replied.

"Why don't you go see Mother and have her check?" Shem suggested.

It was a good idea and honestly what was the worst that could happen; other than it being negative. She was the only other person that knew we were trying so I politely asked Father to leave once I got to their house.

"Shem thinks I may be with child." I told her.

She had me spit in a cup while she got the herbs ready. I ran to vomit, nerves I told myself firmly, and came back to see Mother smiling.

"I cannot believe I am saying this but Shem's right." Mother told me. "You are with child."

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Positive." She replied. "Are you not happy?"

"No I am thrilled, I am just nervous is all." I confessed.

"Well it is early, you are probably only a month along. You cannot think about what could happen Ila, just focus on what is happening which is that you are pregnant." She told me.

When I got home I was so excited to tell Shem. He bombarded me immediately and knew from the look on my face.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Positive." I replied.

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

I was ecstatic that Ila was pregnant. With Elijah being seven months and both girls three and a half, we were excited to be expanding our family. Ila was worried about losing the baby and since it was so early we had refrained from telling everybody just yet, including the girls. When they had inquired about Ila's sickness, I told them that she had a bellyache like Adah had; Mother was the only other person who knew. She would've come to help us but she was spending most of her time with Ham's wife Cassia, who was almost five months along in her pregnancy. The two had bonded instantly.

Since I was with the children more than usual it was up to Japheth to begin building his own house. He was to be fourteen in a few months so it was about time for him to step up; he had been shadowing me for almost a year now. I knew he was lonely as well, so building would be a nice distraction for him.

"Mah!" Elijah cried, brining me out of my thoughts.

"Mama's busy with your sisters; it is just me and you Eli." I told him.

Ila had decided to spend the day with the girls, who she felt were feeling left out; which left me and Elijah to do things on our own. I decided it would be fun for us to take a walk; well I would walk while he sat on my shoulders. He was not very heavy but he did like to kick me in the head.

"Keep your legs still Elijah." I told him.

"Nah." He replied.

"You like to argue don't you; just like you mother. She loves to pick a fight, especially with me. And do not get me started on your sister Evi. Poor girl's got my temper I'm afraid. Adah is sweet, just like Mama, but Evi, poor Evi. She's a lot like your Uncle Ham you know; he never liked to follow orders or do what he was told. He always managed to get on Father's bad side, your Grandfather of course." I told him. "What do you think you are going to be like when you're older?"

"Mah." He said.

"You want to be like Mama too huh? Suppose that's a good idea, she's perfect. I am pretty wonderful too though son. I may not be able to breastfeed you but you can still love you." I told him. "I will always love you, unless you do something terrible; but even if you do I will still love you."

"Mah." He replied.

"I know, I know, Mama's better than Dada. I did help make you though, and that has got to count for something." I said.

"Nah." Elijah replied.

I was not sure if he knew what he was saying, but I could tell that he meant what he said. By the time we got back to the house Elijah was fast asleep. Ila and the girls were building a tower out of blocks as they ate berries and cream.

"This looks like fun." I said as I sat down next to my wife.

"Mine is the biggest Dada!" Evi exclaimed.

"So is mine, my tower is big too Dada!" Adah yelled.

"They are both very tall." I told them.

"How was your day my love?" Ila asked me.

"It was wonderful. We went for a walk and had a long talk." I told her.

"Did you now?" She replied. "What did you talk about?"

"That is between me and Elijah." I told her.

"As if he'll remember." She scoffed.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a long kiss.

"Eww!" Both girls cried.

"That is enough! You'll wake your brother." Ila scolded them.

"Sorry Mama." They said.

"You'll be alright Ila." I said softly.

It had been two weeks since we found out Ila was expecting and this was the fifth day in a row she had woken up sick. I was holding her hair back and trying to comfort her.

"I hate this." She said, leaning against me.

"It'll be over soon. You've never liked being sick, I remember that from when we were children." I told her. "I remember Mother telling you that crying will only make it worse but you never listened and it just made you vomit more."

"I suppose I do get a bit dramatic." She snickered. "But for good reason."

"Always." I replied, kissing the top of her head.

"How does a swim sound?" Ila asked a few hours later, after we had all eaten breakfast. "It's been a while and Elijah still has yet to get in the water."

"That is a fantastic idea." I replied. "What do you think girls?"

"Swimming!" Evi yelled.

"I do not like swimming." Adah said quietly.

"That is alright my love; you can sit with me and Naama." Ila told her.

It took almost an hour, but we finally made it to the lake. I took Evi and Elijah in the water while Ila took Adah to get the family. Evi was a good swimmer and was able to paddle around on her own; though we stayed in the shallow end of the lake to appease Ila. Elijah seemed to enjoy the water as well. Ila preferred to stay out of the water, probably due to our experience on the ark. Adah did not like swimming either, I was not sure why.

"Would you like to swim on your own?" I asked Elijah.

"You let him go and I am leaving with the children." Ila yelled." I swear."

"Mama does not like to have fun." I told him.

Elijah giggled and splashed around.

"Dada look at me!" Evi yelled.

I turned and watched as Father threw her in the air.

"Did you see it?" She asked as she paddled over to me.

"I did, that was incredible." I told her. "Adah, do you want to come and swim with us?"

She shook her head as she climbed into Ila's lap.

"Dada wants you to swim with you." Ila told her.

"No, I want you." Adah replied.

Elijah started to get cranky a bit later so I brought him back to the shore. We were all getting hungry so everyone got out for a picnic.

"Mama more soup please." Evi said.

"Mah." Elijah cried when Ila go up.

"She'll be right back." I told him.

"Someone's impatient." Mother said, taking him from me.

"It runs in the family." Ila said snidely.

"I'll have you know that I am incredibly patient." I retorted.

"Please they get it from you." She scoffed.

The rest of the day went by and before we knew it the sun was starting to set. Ham and Cassia had retreated home a few hours before and Mother, Father, and Japheth left shortly after. Ila had thought it would be fun to camp so while she taught the girls about the stars, I was trying to pitch the tent. It was not too hard but I was exhausted; thankfully it did not take too long.

"I am going to go to sleep now." I told Ila once the tent was up.

"Why don't you take Elijah with you, the girls and I will be in in a bit." She said.

Elijah was already asleep and it did not take long for me to follow in suit. When I woke up in the morning, Adah's feet were in my face, Evi was completely on top of me, and Elijah was crying; It didn't take me long to realize it was because Ila was not in the tent. I carefully moved all the children and went outside to see Ila vomiting.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I asked her as I held her hair back.

"You looked so tired." She said. "Besides, the girls were comfortable."

"Let's go back in before Elijah wakes the girls up." I told her after a few minutes.

When we got back she scooped Elijah up while I went to go lie back down. Surprisingly both girls were still asleep.

"Do you think you can carry them both back to the house?" Ila asked me. "I am not very well and I want to get home."

"Go on ahead then, I'll be right behind you." I told her.

Somehow the girls stayed asleep the entire way home. Ila had gone back to sleep so I took it upon myself to get breakfast started.

"It is going to be a long day." I said to Elijah.

S S S S S S S S S S


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Announcements**

 _Ila_

We were all sitting around the fire eating the meal mother and Cassia had made. She was six months along and Mother was trying to teach her how to cook. Her morning sickness was completely done whereas mine was just getting worse. I was seven weeks now, not even two months along yet I was already starting to show. Shem and I had decided to tell everyone about the baby tonight at dinner. Once we had eaten I motioned to Shem.

"Ila and I are having another baby." Shem told everyone, standing up.

"Oh that is wonderful." Father said. "How long have you known?"

"Seven weeks." I replied.

"Did you know?" Ham asked Mother, engulfing me in a hug.

Mother detached herself from Shem and came over to me.

"Of course I did!" she happily exclaimed.

"What do you think girls?" Shem asked them.

"No more babies!" Evi screamed.

"They cry." Adah said, a bit quieter than her twin.

"You like Elijah and he is a baby." I told them.

"No!" I heard, and turned to see Elijah giggling in father's arms, "No!"

"Did you hear that?" Shem asked me, astonished. "He said something other than Mah."

He removed his arm from my shoulders and grabbed Elijah from father. He tossed in the air and kissed him.

"Come on Elijah say it again!" Shem encouraged him.

"No!" Elijah said in return.

"My baby boy!" I cried taking him from Shem.

"Mah." He whispered, burying his head into my neck.

"Dada I want up." Evi said, tugging at his coat.

"Someone's jealous." I told her.

We stayed a bit longer until all the children were asleep. Mother and Father took them back to their house so that Shem and I could be alone. It had been almost three months since we had been alone together. Instead of being intimate, however, we ended up falling asleep.

"How did you sleep?" I asked him the next morning.

"Very well." He replied, kissing my neck.

I let out a moan as I felt his hands travel down my body. His hand finally found its spot in between my legs. I wrapped my hand his neck as he pumped his fingers in and out of me.

"Don't stop!" I screamed.

"I don't plan on it." He replied, plunging into me.

"Mama please do my hair." Adah said.

Even though we had taught the girls their manners, they still did not understand the difference between asking and telling.

"Come here love." I told her. "Evi would you like your hair braided?"

"Dada braid it." She said.

I snickered as I looked over to Shem.

"What you don't think I can braid her hair?" Shem asked me.

"I know you can braid it; I just don't think you can do a good job." I replied.

"Evi come over here bug." He said to her.

Even though I hated to admit it, Shem did a pretty good job. He was so adorable with his daughters. Elijah was starting to get jealous so I brought him into my lap while I finished Adah's hair. Even though they were identical, her hair grew a lot faster than Evi's.

"I am hungry, how does lunch sound girls?" Shem asked.

"I want eggs Dada." Evi said.

"Me too, I want eggs too Dada." Adah said.

"What does Mama want?" Shem asked me.

"Eggs sounds nice as long as I don't have to make them." I told him. "I picked some yesterday but I don't know if there are enough for all of us. There may be more in the coop."

"I want to get them!" Evi yelled running after Shem.

"Do you want to go with them?" I asked Adah.

"No I don't like the chickens." She told me.

"Why not?" I inquired.

"They bite." She said.

"It is called pecking. They are just trying to get to know you love." I told her.

"I don't like it." She said.

Adah, like me, was incredibly stubborn. It did not take Shem and Evi long to find some more eggs and soon we had a delicious lunch. Eggs were a delicacy I remembered from my early childhood but when Noah found me, I found out that he didn't allow them. When we got to the new world I was excited that we were finally able to eat them again. Elijah was able to eat solid food now that he was eight months old.

"I think I am going to go take a nap." I said to Shem.

"Are you alright?" He asked, feeling my forehead.

"I'm fine, just tired." I told him.

As always, I muttered under my breath as I walked away. When I woke up I noticed an arm draped over my stomach and a warm body curled into my chest.

"Elijah missed you." Shem whispered into my ear. "Father took the girls to pick some herbs about an hour ago so it is just the three of us."

I pulled Elijah close to me and kissed his head. He was my baby boy.

"Do you feel better now?" He asked me, stroking my hair.

"I was fine, just tired love." I told him. "You worry too much."

"Of course I am worried, I love you." He said.

"I know you do but I am not a child." I replied.

"But you are carrying one." He retorted with his hands on my belly.

I knew his heart was in the right place but I could not help but get annoyed.

"That doesn't mean I need to be treated differently. Yes, I may be more tired or my back might hurt but that doesn't mean I cannot take care of my family." I told him. "I am a grown woman and expecting or not I deserve to be treated like one."

"Ila I am sorry, I had no idea you felt this way." He replied, almost shamefully.

"I do not want you to feel guilty; I just want you to know what is going on inside my head." I said.

We lied there in an awkward silence until Shem put his arm around me and pulled me close so that our noses were touching. Elijah sighed as he snuggled his head back into my chest.

"I love you Ila." He told me.

"I love you too Shem."

S S S S S S S S S S

 _Shem_

"Hold still bud." I told Elijah.

Ila had taken the girls to go visit Mother while I decided to spend the day with Elijah and my brothers. Ham was nervous about becoming a father so I figured he wanted a day outside. Elijah was trying to crawl everywhere, including into the mud.

"He's a handful isn't he?" Ham asked me.

"Just a bit." I replied. "You look like a mess."

"Honestly, I'm terrified. I mean I know if you can handle three I can handle one, but I am still nervous." He said. "What's it like, being there when they're born?"

"I have never been so scared; it is horrible seeing the person you love more than anything in that much pain. On the other hand, it is incredible seeing your child for the first time." I told him, kissing Elijah's forehead. "You will never forget it."

"That did not help one bit." Ham replied.

"It is hard to believe you are going to have a fourth." Japheth said to me.

"I still cannot believe we were even able to have them in the first place." I said.

"Mah." Elijah said.

"You will see Mama in a bit bud." I told him.

"He doesn't like you much does he?" Ham joked.

"No he loves his mother more, but that is alright I have my girls." I said. "Japheth why don't you take Elijah to pick some berries, give Ham and I some time to talk?"

"Try to keep yourself together." I told Ham once Japheth left with the baby. "The last thing she needs is to see you stressed."

"How do I even know if I am going to be a good father?" Ham asked.

"Honestly, you won't; it won't be until you see your child for the first time that you know everything will be alright." I told him. "It has been three years and I still remember running into the tent in the ark and seeing Ila holding Adah in her arms and then being by her side as Evi and Elijah were born."

"Age does make a person wiser doesn't it?" Ham replied.

"I suppose so." I said as I grabbed Elijah from Japheth.

"He fell asleep." Japheth told me.

"I can see that." I said. "Did you get enough berries for dessert?"

"I hope so." He replied.

"How was Ham today?" Ila asked me later that day. "Cassia seemed fine but she told me he has been a nervous wreck."

"He was terrified, but I talked to home and I think I finally got through to him." I told her. "He doesn't think he is father material."

"Well he wasn't always the most selfless child but he is an adult now. Besides if you can do it so can he." She replied snidely.

"I think I have done a pretty good job so far." I said, wrapping her into my arms. "I see you're feeling well enough to belittle me."

"Always." She replied with a kiss.

"That is enough you two, Ila I need your help with the soup." Mother interrupted us.

"Of course Mother, Shem please make sure the girls wash up before they eat." Ila told me.

"I know how to take care of my children love." I replied.

"Are you sure?" She asked facetiously.

"I am positive." I said kissing her.

"Ila please, I need your help." Mother called.

"You should go." I told Ila.

"Still enjoy watching us eh?" I asked Ham as I walked over to the fire pit.

"I would not watch if you weren't so obvious." He replied.

"Dada I'm tired." Evi said, curling up into my lap.

"Did you have a good day?" I asked her and Adah.

"We crushed herbs and made a blanket for the baby." Adah told me.

"That sounds like a nice day." I replied. "How was Mama today?"

"She was sick, it was yucky." She said.

"Mah." Elijah cooed.

"Yes I know Mama's better than me." I told him.

"Dinner is ready." Mother called out.

"This looks wonderful Mother." Ham said as we sat around the fire pit.

"It was simple, just some fish and potato soup." She replied.

"Well it is delicious." Father said.

"Do you think we should wake Evi up to eat?" Ila asked me. "She should be hungry."

"She's exhausted, just let her sleep, she can eat when she gets up." I told her.

"Elijah please stop feeding Mama." She said to the baby.

"He is helping." Adah said.

"Adah how would you like to spend tomorrow alone with me?" Mother asked Adah.

"I want to!" Adah exclaimed. "Mama can I? Can I Dada?"

"Yes of course you can." I told her. "That is fine you right Ila?"

"Absolutely." She said. "I am going to go lie down for a bit, I feel a bit sick."

"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked her.

"No I will be alright. Thank you for dinner Mother, it was delicious." Ila said.

"Get home safely dear." Mother told her.

Thankfully Elijah was too preoccupied with his dinner to notice Ila leaving.


End file.
